Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 174 The Reason for Effort

The morning sun shines through the curtains onto the embroidered bed, and peach blossoms burst forth with spring fragrance on the branches.

The rouge stains half-stained the mirror, and a lingering fragrance remained by the pillow.

It was early morning, and the sky was still overcast. The room was still pitch black, with heavy curtains blocking out the light.

"CHEER UP BABY, CHEER UP BABY"

"Cheer up, baby, and give it another try!"

"Girls shouldn't easily reveal their feelings, that way you'll like me more..."

Gu Jingyi was in a deep sleep when he was woken up by his phone alarm.

"Ugh, this song is so noisy no matter when I listen to it..."

He sighed and reached out to turn off the incessantly ringing alarm on his phone on the bedside table.

I opened my eyes and was still a little drowsy, so I rubbed them to ease the sleepiness.

After a moment of confusion, I got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.

She abruptly got up, pulling back a corner of the blanket. Because of this corner, a smooth, fair shoulder was revealed from under the blanket.

The slender yet graceful curve of her back extended unhindered down into the depths of the blankets, finally disappearing into the darkness.

Gu Jingyi's eyes deepened slightly, but he restrained his impulse.

Yesterday's momentary folly proved to Xiaotian that "Seven Times" was no empty title.

Gu Jingyi considered himself a man of taste and interest, and believed that there was plenty of time ahead.

I decided not to bother her this morning.

A few minutes later, Gu Jingyi returned to the bedroom after washing up.

He first picked up his phone and sent a message to Lin Ze, signaling his agent to get ready to pick him up.

The message was sent and Lin Ze read it quickly.

Gu Jingyi understood and took the watch from the bedside table.

In the morning light, the priceless Chopin diamonds gleamed brilliantly.

The watch clasp made a crisp sound, though it wasn't very loud to Gu Jingyi.

To Tian Xiwei, who was lying in bed half-asleep, it was like a thunderclap.

She slowly woke up, and just as she was about to bury her face in Gu Jingyi's muscular chest to act coquettishly, she missed.

A strange noise was heard, and Xiaotian's face fell onto the mattress.

It didn't hurt, but it was a little embarrassing.

"Hmm, why are you still so reckless?"

Laughter, mingled within his chest, gradually spilled out, like ripples spreading across a calm lake.

Xiao Tian's ears twitched slightly, and the shame and indignation in her heart intensified.

Her earlobes gradually turned a rosy hue, the tips of her ears almost dripping blood.

It seems that no matter what, she will always do something stupid in front of this person.

This feeling is absolutely awful!

The elder sister's authority had vanished, which explains why Gu Jingyi still refuses to call her "elder sister" to this day.

Even in bed, he made her call him "brother," contrary to what he had done.

Xiaotian felt increasingly gloomy as she thought about it; it seemed that Gu Jingyi had really been coaxing her like a child.

Gu Jingyi glanced at Tian Xiwei, who was pretending to be dead, and sighed almost imperceptibly.

He walked up in a few steps and, somewhat helplessly, rescued Tian Xiwei, whose face was flushed red from being sullen, from the mattress.

If he doesn't go to save people soon, someone will become "braised Xiao Tian".

"That's ridiculous!"

Gu Jingyi gave a light rebuke, but a faint smile lingered in his eyes.

Tian Xiwei saw it clearly and didn't care about losing face.

She saw that Gu Jingyi was wearing the latest Dior collection and knew that he was off to catch up on his schedule.

Tian Xiwei opened her arms and said to Gu Jingyi in a coquettish tone, "Hug me~"

Gu Jingyi glanced at it and then quickly looked away.

Fortunately, he was the only man here, otherwise the entire Spring Garden would have been seen by others.

He reached out and pulled the blanket up, neatly wrapping Tian Xiwei up completely.

Why did you wake up so early today?

Tian Xiwei sat up, wrapped in a blanket, her long, smooth hair like seaweed covering her front. She could barely open her eyes and frowned as she looked at him.

"I've been so busy lately. I still have another week of promotional tour for 'Take My Brother Away.' Next week, I'll be juggling the movie promotion and the opening of my personal fashion brand. I also have to go to Idol Century to record an album. Milky Moe's album will be released in November. So far, all we've done is shoot a poster and a spin-off variety show. We don't really care about recording the actual songs and filming the music videos. Idol Century, on the other hand, seems to value these little things. They've really put the cart before the horse and are wasting the fans' time."

Gu Jingyi didn't turn around. He straightened the wrinkles in his clothes in front of the mirror and answered.

"You've really been wronged. You're so talented, yet you're being dragged down by Milk Foam Forest..."

Tian Xiwei rubbed her eyes, closed them tightly, and then opened them again.

“It’s not that bad,” Gu Jingyi couldn’t help but chuckle.

No other talent show group has more freedom than "MilkPaoSen". In the original timeline, MilkPaoSen debuted for a year and a half but only reunited for less than 53 days.

This includes concerts and fan meetings; everyone tacitly uses the group as a stepping stone.

Even the Rocket Girls' group appearances and performances are more numerous than those of Nai Pao Sen, not to mention that Tencent specially created two variety shows for Rocket Girls.

One is "Supernova Games," which imitates the South Korean Idol Star Athletics Championships, and the other is "Explosive Stage," a group stage competition.

Both shows vanished like bubbles after the disbandment of Rocket Girls, the "eldest daughter" of the group.

Anyone can see Tencent's ambitions.

However, compared to the South Korean 101 series of talent show groups, Rocket Girls have a much more comfortable living space.

In terms of treatment and freedom, Chinese celebrities are second only to those in the United States.

Wu Xuanyi revealed on a program that she only started earning real income after participating in Produce Camp 2019.

When I debuted with WJSN (Cosmic Girls), I only earned 3,000 yuan a month. That wasn't enough to support myself, and I needed financial assistance from my family.

Junior sister Wang Yiren also publicly stated in Bubble that Yuehua has never settled any fees since joining Louge and debuting many years ago.

These words immediately caused a stir. Negative terms such as "heartless" and "exploitative" were constantly being used to describe Du Hua of Yuehua.

Du Hua couldn't sit still any longer and responded on Weibo. She explained that because Louge had been in the industry for five years, she wouldn't be able to repay the company's training and operating expenses until the end of this year.

She might as well not respond at all; these cases have directly left a deep impression on people's minds regarding the treatment of Chinese and Korean entertainment industry personnel.

Even someone as talented as Gu Jingyi only received his settlement fee six months after debuting with the Asian supergroup "Forgot to Take the Bowl" in his previous life.

To be honest, K-pop's income is already low. After splitting the profits with the remaining 10 members, what they get isn't even enough to buy a toilet in Shanghai.

Even if Gu Jingyi hadn't been suppressed in his previous life, he would still have withdrawn from the competition after his rebirth. Money is the most tempting thing, no matter the place.

Although Milkball is also a limited-time group, they don't interfere with Gu Jingyi's acting or releasing albums at all.

Even among group representatives, Gu Jingyi has only participated in the Nongfu Spring Power Emperor series so far.

He thought things like the I Do perfume line were low-class.

He has taken on quite a few personal endorsements, and this year has been a very fruitful one for Gu Jingyi. To date, he has 17 endorsements.

The endorsement areas range from affordable to luxury goods, and include multiple fields such as skincare, fragrance, food, clothing, and accessories.

If we include Guerlain and Givenchy, which he hasn't officially announced yet, Gu Jingyi has already secured 19 endorsements.

It's not even the end of the year yet, and it's expected that after "Take My Brother Away" reaches the "1 billion yuan box office" mark, his number of endorsements will also increase, and it's estimated that 23 endorsements will be a piece of cake by then.

You should know that Lin Ze's current criteria for choosing endorsements for Gu Jingyi are either high-end luxury brands or expensive brands that he is willing to spend a lot on.

After all, it's tied to his income, so there's a reason why Gu Jingyi works so hard.

Gu Jingyi glanced at the time and estimated that Lin Ze should be arriving soon.

He picked up his phone and prepared to open the door and leave.

Xiao Tian was a little disappointed, but under the influence of hormones, she still asked with some concern, "Gu Jingyi, why are you working yourself so hard? It's been more than half a year since your debut. So far, you've only rested for a day and a half, right? Do you want to become the male version of 'Dilraba' who only takes three days off a year? Why don't you relax a little? It wouldn't hurt to take a short vacation after this period is over."

"Ok?"

Gu Jingyi paused, turned around, looked up at the hotel ceiling, and thought for a moment.

After a moment's thought, his gaze returned to Tian Xiwei's face. Although his tone was relatively relaxed, his eyes were very serious.

"Maybe it's because of my competitive spirit. I hate the feeling of being looked down upon. I've experienced this feeling before, when I was questioned about my acting skills after filming 'A Love So Beautiful' and when I was questioned about my professional abilities after joining 'Idol Producer'."

Gu Jingyi raised an eyebrow and said with great enthusiasm, "Whether it's my singing or my acting, there are always people who question me. But I'm determined to prove them wrong. If I want to, I can reach the top in both fields at the same time. I have that kind of talent and energy, just like Leslie Cheung, or even better."

"Moreover, compared to ordinary people, the job of an artist is already at the top of the pyramid in terms of both workload and pay. I don't think it's anything hard. If we're talking about hard work, the sanitation workers sweeping downstairs are hard-working, and the cleaners who come to clean every morning are also hard-working."

Noticing that Tian Xiwei looked a little embarrassed, Gu Jingyi softened his tone.

He looked at Tian Xiwei, a smile on his face but his tone serious: "Compared to all that, being an artist not only brings in a lot of money but also the love of many fans. It's already a blessing, and I'm enjoying it very much. Since I like it and don't feel tired, it's better to put my heart into it."

"Besides, the reason you were initially attracted to me was related to my time working in South Korea. So of course I have to do better and better, especially since I still have my first fan supporting me. I can't let my dear donut down, right?"

Tian Xiwei was speechless. She hadn't expected that Gu Jingyi's hard work was partly due to her efforts.

With a touch of nonchalance, Gu Jingyi blew Tian Xiwei a kiss, then placed his hand on the doorknob. He turned the lock, about to step outside.

Although he didn't turn around, it was clear from his words that he was speaking to Tian Xiwei.

"The room key is on the bedside table. My assistant, Xiao Pang, will be here in a bit. He'll help you check out and take you to the film set. I have to go take care of my schedule now. Call me if you miss me."

The door slammed shut, and Tian Xiwei stared blankly in the direction of the door.

She was still a little dazed when she recalled Gu Jingyi's series of words.

It seems I haven't fully digested it yet; I'll savor it little by little.

I never imagined that I would also have a share in Gu Jingyi's rise to the top. This is just too unbelievable...

.........

Gu Jingyi sat in the nanny van, scrolling through his phone one message after another.

Yesterday was his birthday, and unsurprisingly, my WeChat was flooded with greetings from a bunch of celebrity friends.

Not to mention Gu Jingyi's girlfriends, even Sun Zhenni, who had been in a "semi-free-range" state in the fishpond, sent Gu Jingyi one sincere blessing after another.

Gu Jingyi glanced at it and quickly sensed her affection from the girlish reply.

A young girl's heart is always filled with poetry, even though she had only met Gu Jingyi a few times. Gu Jingyi's gentlemanly manners and character left a deep impression on Sun Zhenni, not to mention that rosy cheeks are good for one's appearance.

Even a "top-tier goalkeeper" can be completely overwhelmed by a "young and beautiful actress," so it's quite normal for a man like Gu Jingyi, who is both talented and handsome and of noble character, to be admired by young girls.

Gu Jingyi replied briefly, then switched to another page.

He couldn't help but laugh after seeing this person's chat messages.

I have to say, Zhao Guangdong is a really interesting person.

From the moment she met Gu Jingyi until now, she has been pursuing him intensely.

Gu Jingyi receives many "perks" all day long.

However, he didn't need any Da Nai lines, so he didn't pay much attention to them.

If this continues for a month, a normal person would have already lost interest.

But Zhao Yue acted as if nothing had happened, and she never missed any of the proper etiquette during holidays and festivals.

Moreover, after realizing that Gu Jingyi didn't have any other intentions, she changed her approach.

The tone of the message she sent to Gu Jingyi wasn't as overly intimate as before; it was just a casual greeting between friends. It wasn't passionate, but it was very affectionate.

Knowing that Gu Jingyi was filming a movie, she sent a support truck and booked out a theater to support the film.

Isn't it said that Seine River is a makeshift operation? I really don't understand how her meager salary can support her extravagant spending.

If this happens, Zhao Guangdong will send a WeChat message to Gu Jingyi to boast about his achievements.

He can simply repay the debt double as long as he doesn't owe anyone a favor.

But Zhao Yue remained calm and never vented his emotions on WeChat after not getting a response from Gu Jingyi.

In doing so, Gu Jingyi actually felt indebted to her for this favor.

Her approach to relationships in this way is quite clever.

She didn't put much pressure on Gu Jingyi, but she made people feel comfortable with her without them even realizing it.

Although Gu Jingyi isn't very familiar with her yet, he feels that she's a really nice person. And it's not because she's good-looking, but because she's good at interpersonal relationships and knows how to behave appropriately.

If they can really stay well-behaved like this forever, then occasionally indulging them wouldn't be a bad thing...

Aside from Zhao Yue, who was determined to climb the social ladder, other friends also sent messages to Gu Jingyi.

Like Shen Yue, who previously co-starred with Gu Jingyi in "A Love So Beautiful," Gu Jingyi was filming "Idol Producer" when "A Love So Beautiful" was airing. The CP (couple pairing) between the two was limited to their characters and did not involve the actors from the original timeline portraying each other.

They exchanged greetings on Weibo and occasionally tagged each other.

There was no binding in the first place, so there's no need to go through the trouble of untying it so badly.

Gu Jingyi and Shen Yue can now be considered to be colleagues with a good relationship.

Besides receiving her message, several other close friends called Gu Jingyi immediately after seeing her reply.

For example, the one we're talking to right now.

"Hey Gu Jingyi, you're really not being fair. You didn't even tell your sister about your birthday. You celebrated my birthday before. How come you can't even have a private party for your own? Do you love your work that much, especially on your twentieth birthday, such a big round number?"

Yang Zi launched into a barrage of questions on the phone, but she quickly broke down.

Gu Jingyi heard the sound of her drinking water through the receiver. The sound of the liquid sloshing from the glass and her swallowing was very clear, adding a touch of comedy to her stern questioning and instantly diminishing her imposing aura.

"Sister Zi, I'm just watching you filming."

(End of this chapter)